Clash of Tides (A merman story)
Chapter 7 - |Water wheel|

WATER KEEPS RUMBLING, SWOOSHING, and splashing around me. The cave is flooding, and Assan is fighting the creature that attacked me. Green tentacles lash above the surface of the pool, flailing frantically. I flinch at the booming sound of the tentacles smacking the cave walls. The ceiling shakes, and rocks fall from above. Rain continues pouring down from the sky, mixing in with water splashing against my knees and chest.

Breathing heavily, I dart my eyes around the pool of water, looking for Assan. The solid blue eyes I saw never blinked at me before disappearing into the watery depths. The claws and solid blue eyes make me wonder, what is Assan? Isn’t he just a merman? Crashes of thunder roar in the sky, and within these walls is a storm. The smell and taste of saltwater hit my senses, and I struggle not to swallow the liquid entering my mouth. There is so much water that I can’t tell the difference between the rainwater and salt water on my tongue.

My eyes sweep the cave, but only rain from the sky and green tentacles enter my sight. An inhuman scream echoes through the cave, growing louder with every second. Is that Assan? Two tentacles start heading towards me, but I press my body to the ground, dodging it. The tentacles touch me and rub their suckers onto my skin. As they keep caressing me, the suckers began to stick to my flesh like glue.

Where is Assan? What happened to him? I have to save myself!

The suckers latch onto me, and the icky sensation sends a shiver up my spine. Despite the tentacles trying to lift me, I stay flat against the ground; however, cold water rushes towards me, entering every hole on my face: my mouth, eyes, and ears. It’s only a matter of time before I either get eaten or lose my ability to breathe.

The tentacles lift me again, and I flail my arms around, hoping to replace anything to grab onto, but there is nothing. I gasp and then take in the air. A high-pitched scream reverberates through the collapsing cave; suddenly, I drop. The creature retracts its tentacles and surfaces above the water. My face and hair are drenched, and the monster’s eyes stare at me. As I look at the creature’s eyes, its desire for me weighs on me, calling to me, but my thoughts stay my own.

I jerk my head, looking up, and see a smaller creature on the monster’s back. The smaller creature’s hands dig into the monster’s backside, digging and attacking as crimson streams into the water. Is that Assan?

If the smaller being is Assan, it doesn’t seem like Assan. The skin looks rough, and blue and sea-green scales blended cover its body. However, the scales remind me of Assan’s mid-matched eyes: the colors of the sea.

That must be if the eyes and scales are the same color. Assan! I try to get up, to at least lift one of my legs, but the waves of water continue to rustle me about. Assan’s tail fin flocks around, and his solid blue eyes look into mine. He removes a clawed hand from the creature’s green skin and stabs it, causing more crimson to ooze from its backside. The creature cries out again and lunges a tentacle at Assan, but Assan dodges it. He counter-attacks with one of his long claws; then, he swipes at the tentacle, splitting it in two.

What is going on? How did Assan get all this power? I think to myself as I realize there is more to Assan than I know. More rocks rumble above me, and quickly, I glance at the ceiling and rollover.

I flicker my gaze back to Assan and the creature. The creature’s eyes slowly close. Is it dead? The water nearly covers my body now, and my legs float. Rocks continue to fall from the ceiling as the cave collapses in on itself. Water rises above my head. My thoughts become empty, and my survival instincts take over. I have to swim out of here.

“Elena!” Assan yells.

Water now encompasses me, and rocks rain from the skies, making it hard to see. I try to surface for air, but my vision is blurry, and only darkness is above me. I start swimming until a faint light above the water comes into view. Quickly, I swim upwards, hoping to gain air for my lungs. I gasp, inhale, and then breathe heavily. Looking around, I see the cave is flooding, and almost no pieces of land remain. What once was my prison has become a tomb. Rain falls, and thunder crashes.

“Assan!” I twist around in the water. “Where are—”

Suddenly, something wraps around my waist and pulls me under. Below the water, Assan is in front of me. He looks human again, or as human as he can be, and his black locks float around his face. He pulls me close, pressing his lips to mine in a quick kiss. Whatever happened before has happened again: I can breathe with ease. How am I breathing underwater? What is happening? Where are we going?

Calm down; we’re leaving this place. Just stay still and don’t move. I quickly look towards Assan. In my mind, I just heard his voice. It was a calm voice, a trusting voice, but how? Instead of looking at me, he grips me close to his chest, and with fast movements, he propels me forward through the water: he is fast. Large and small rocks sink in front of us, but Assan dodges them with ease. He moves fluidly, confident in the direction he is going. I wonder if this is normal for Assan—swimming through these waters and fighting dangerous sea creatures.

As we keep going, I vaguely make out the passageway from before in the distance. Shock and fear hit me as a rock-shattering glass. I squirm in Assan’s arms. I don’t want to go back there, those plants…What are all these things? The creatures of the sea? Assan squeezes me and presses me tighter to his chest.

With intense speed, he swims towards the tunnel’s opening. His dark blue fin glides effortlessly through the water, and there is a determination on his face. Adrenaline rushes through me as we get closer to the passageway. Then, something yanks my ankle. I wince as my leg continues to be jerked back. Assan glances over his shoulder and narrows his eyes. It tugs my ankle again, and fear courses through my veins. I wiggle my leg, trying to shake whatever is off me. I am afraid to look behind me; I don’t want to know what is trying to kill me now. It yanks again, and suckers stick to my skin. It’s alive!

I glance back. The creature from before is lunging its green tentacles at us. Assan dodges the tentacle as he keeps me against his body, but one tentacle sticks to my leg. I wiggle continuously, trying to shake it off me.

Stop! Assan’s authoritative voice enters my mind again, catching me off guard. Assan moves our bodies around. As the creature is before us, he unwraps one arm from around my body and opens his palm. All of his fingers are pointing towards the creature. Is he going to use his claws again?

The creature opens its wide mouth, like the giant beak of an octopus, flashing its sharp teeth. The tentacles come for us again, but Assan is unfazed, and his lips twist into a demonic smirk. As I watch the expression forming on his face, it is inhuman. His eyes glint with lust, but it’s not sexual; it’s murderous. He is enjoying this. His eyes flash different colors—dark blue, sea green, and solid cobalt—and his hand curls into a fist. I flicker my blurry gaze between Assan and the creature when a spiral of water forms behind the monster. In disbelief, I widened my gaze. The water behind the monster takes the shape of a fist, and quickly grabs it. What the…? All I can do is panic and tell myself this isn’t happening. The tentacle releases its grasp on my leg and tries to fight off what’s now attacking it.

The monster with tentacles scares me, but is Assan the true monster I should fear? The demented grin lingers on his lips, and it only grows bigger as he watches the creature’s struggle for survival.

“Go! Now!” Assan mentally yells at me, but I’m too afraid to move. “Go, Elena!”

With a harsh thrust, Assan pushes me away towards the tunnel. I look back at him, but he only glances at me to go. I try to calm myself, but the fear and adrenaline pump through me. The colossal hand of water holds the creature at bay. As I twirl around, I see Assan’s sharp gaze on the sea creature. His smile and eyes are wide; he is enjoying this.

Unable to handle his expression of bloodlust, I swim towards the tunnel. My mouth tastes of salt water, and I fight the urge to swallow. Sounds of rushing water echo in my ears, and my heart pumps against my chest. My body is tired, and I hope I can maintain my speed.

I pump my legs, passing through the tunnel when a sharp current drags me. I continue to swim and fight the rush of water, but it’s too powerful. I’m going to be swept away. I whip around in every direction until I notice all the plants that attacked me before are dead. Something killed them. Only pieces of vines remain, rushing in the water with me. Ahead of me is the opening of the tunnel. I can’t think; I don’t want to think about what will come next. In a way, the cave was my sanctuary, shielding me from the horrors of the sea that Assan had brought me to. But the cave is gone now, and I can’t go back.

I squint my eyes, bracing myself to be blasted from the tunnel; however, my body is captured in a quick and smooth motion. The familiar arms of Assan encase me, pressing me against him. Together, we ride the current through the passageway until we reach the other side. Once we make it through, I open my eyes. Through blurry vision, I look around the tunnel. All I see is blue water mixed with crimson. Then soon, all the blue turns red, becoming bloody water.

Assan swims as he holds me close, and our bodies brush against the undersea rocks. A small opening in the rocky walls comes into view, and it appears to be an air pocket. We quickly meander through the tunnel, surfacing above the water. I gasp and take in the air. My thoughts are scattered, but I must think about everything that has happened. There are so many questions I need answers to, and I don’t know where to start. Frantic, I shake my head. Breathing underwater, man-eating plants, merman, mermaids, sea monsters…

Assan releases me, but he stays before me. Our bodies are close as there is little room in the air pocket. Unlike before, his face is calm. He quirks an eyebrow at me, almost as if he knows what I am thinking. With so many worries, fears, thoughts, and questions, I want to scream.

“What was that creature? What are you hiding from me? How can I breathe underwater? How were you communicating with me?!” I demand an answer from him as I raise my voice. For once, I don’t back down, but he stays unfazed by my questions.

His face is stoic. “Is that it, or do you have any more questions?” He growls out through clenched teeth.

Caught off guard by his bored tone, I shake my head hastily; my anger and demand for answers never bother him. I wonder, what will make Assan flinch?

He groans. “I hate having to repeat myself, but I suppose your encounter with the cryptid wasn’t enough. Maybe, now, you will believe me about the creatures in the sea. The one with the tentacles is just many of his kind.” He pauses.

Cryptid, the man-eating plant? Wait, the tentacle monster was male? How does Assan know that?

“And, Elena.”

I look up at Assan, and a serious expression lines his features.

“Don’t question me for information. I will tell you what you need to know. Nothing more, do you understand?” His cold, multiple-colored eyes bore into mine, and I wince at his gaze.

“Answer me.” His voice is deep, and I am stunned.

“Yes,” I mumble, wanting to lash out at him.

“As for breathing underwater, you haven’t figured it out yet?” He keeps his cold eyes on me as if I irritate him. And he should know the feeling is mutual between us. I think back to the kisses we have shared, but my mind is so full of questions and fears that our intimate encounters do not stay with me. His affection isn’t real, but his kisses must be breathing air into my lungs.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” I swallow the gulp in my throat. “Do you have…” I pause, thinking about how Assan was able to control the water a few minutes ago.

Assan sighs irritably. “Yes, Elena, I have powers. I didn’t think you would be so slow.” He groans, and my face goes red in anger. I want to retort him and shout, but Assan has the advantage in such an enclosed space. I don’t know what he will or can do to me if he gets angry. I exhale, hoping to stay calm while I digest everything.

“I guess it can’t be helped. You are only human, after all.” He shrugs.

At this point, I am furious, but I know Assan can punish me for speaking out of turn. And his punishments will be worse than Mother’s. However, I’m still puzzled about the communication underwater.

I part my lips and ask, “The way you communicated with me, was that . . . also your power?”

Assan raises an eyebrow at me. “Yes, Elena.” His answer is blunt.

My first encounter with the cryptid comes back to me. He didn’t speak to me through my mind then.

“Why didn’t you use your power before? When I—”

“Because it wasn’t necessary.” He cuts me off. He stares at me with his dual-color eyes. “When I saw you with the cryptid, I was surprised you tried to escape. Foolish human.” He chuckles darkly.

I truly wish I could hit him, as a good slapping would do him well.

“My only goal then was to save you, so communication was not needed between us in the water. The threat was minimal,” he answers coolly, almost as if the plants aren’t worth mentioning. At least he is confident. “When I share my power with you, the connection between us is only temporary, as well as your ability to breathe underwater. Unless I project my thoughts to yours, I will not be able to know what you are thinking.”

At least I can take comfort in that. He doesn’t need to know my grave dislike for him.

I press both hands to my chest, ruminating over his explanation. My chest tightens, thinking about the kisses between us. A question hits me, and it hurts me. I lower my gaze, looking into the dark blue liquid surrounding me. “Is kissing the only way to share this power of yours?” I hate asking. I hate the way he touches me, the way his lips brush mine, and how his muscular chest presses against my skin. I don’t want his touch or his fake affection. I am a loner, worthless; I need to feel that way.

I wait for his reply, but the air pocket is silent. Maybe he doesn’t want to answer me. As it stays quiet, only the rhythm of rustling water echoes across the rocky walls, and the air is tight. The tension makes it hard to breathe.

“No.” He finally answers; his voice is stem, laced with no emotion. My heart aches, but I don’t know why. I look up at him, and his words sting. I don’t want him to see my pain, so I must hide it. I don’t want to feel protected; I am not protected.

My voice trembles. “Then, why do you—”

“Soon, I will fuck you,” he says bluntly, in a harsh voice. “I might as well taste you, Elena. Don’t get it twisted.”

I am frozen. Of course, I was foolish for thinking anything more. I was raised almost all my life to be treated this way by a man. It hurts more than I thought. He is teasing me with my own emotions for his pleasure—nothing more and nothing less. Life isn’t kind, and drowning is the first step to sinking; I am drowning.

“I understand fully now.” I hold back my tears. I am foolish; Assan was right.

“Good.” He smiles slyly at me. I wonder if he is thinking lustful thoughts as he turns his gaze to the rocks. “Still . . .how did they replace you,” Assan mumbles quietly.

I look at him in surprise. How did they replace me? Who are they? The brown-haired woman? Looking at him, I see agitation on his features. Whomever the woman was, I was hoping she’d helped me escape, but then her words repeat in my mind. Her Majesty...he has started? What has started? Who is Her Majesty? I lower my gaze to the water, wondering if I should tell Assan what I saw. I don’t trust him. I have more hate for him now since he truly wants to kill me; however, this is the second time he has saved my life.

Assan said he wouldn’t replace me, but does he only want to bed me that badly...if I am going to die . . . why would he protect me so much? Ugh...I wish I knew what he needed a child for.

Assan keeps thinking to himself. His facial expression shows annoyance, maybe thinking deeply about the creature that attacked us. Still, I don’t trust him, but my feelings are conflicted. Before this, everything was simple. Become a prostitute, make money, and take care of my family. But things have changed; the cave is gone, and I’m left in this murky water with Assan. Will telling Assan what I saw matter? The cave is gone, and the brown-haired woman will not return there.

“I saw someone...s…”

Assan turns his gaze back towards me, looking at me suspiciously. I purse my lips, not knowing if I should continue my speech.

Assan narrows his eyes. “You saw what, Elena?” His voice is cold as ice, deep, and demanding.

Fear courses through my entire being as I shake in the water, retreating inward and slowly swimming away from him. The limited air in the pocket becomes intense. The water circling Assan starts to bubble around him, and his intense glare is on me. As he swims closer, I retreat from him until the rocky wall behind me blocks me.

I am afraid. He towers over me. Wet black bangs hover over his eyes, and his damp skin pushes my hands. For a brief second, I can see stubble gills on each side of his neck. My fingertips touch the muscles on his chest, feeling his strong abs.

His eyes are half-lidded and cold; he knows I’m hiding something. I shake, lowering my gaze to the water around me, but Assan quickly grips my chin, forcing me to look at him. My sight is on him, and I am drawn into his mismatched eyes. Up close, his face was just like what I had seen before: handsome.

“Tell me what you saw!” He demands. The water continues to bubble, boiling like a pot of water. His lips twist into a frown, and his brows knit together. “Elena, you know what I am capable of, and I already told you I don’t like liars.”

“I…”

“What did you see?!” He shouts at me, gripping my chin tighter.

“A woman with brown hair! She was watching me!” I confess, nearly shouting the answer as I close my eyes. With my eyes closed, I slowly feel Assan release his hold on my chin. I hear the sound of rustling water, and the boiling noises have stopped.

I snap my eyes open in fear when I see Assan looking at me wide-eyed, mouth agape, with an expression of fear I never thought I would see on him.

I am still against the wall, and I can feel the jagged rocks piercing into my backside.

Assan’s brows crease together, and his eyes go cold. He grabs me by the shoulders, tightening his grip on me.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” He yells, and something digs into my skin, piercing my shoulder. I wince from the pain as I feel blood leak out of me. I try to move and fight back, but Assan keeps me in place. His intense gaze locks on mine, and I can’t take it anymore. Anger boils through me—a rage I usually hide away so no one hurts me by hitting me, slapping me, or yelling at me.

I lift my arms despite Assan’s tight grip on my shoulders.

“I didn’t ask for this! All I wanted to do was protect my little brother! I was just going to sell myself, but Seidon he…” I pause, and as I think of Seidon, tears flow from my eyes. As I lower my gaze, Assan releases me, and the sounds of water splash around me. Seidon, I miss you…

The air pocket is silent, filling with the sounds of rustling water echoing through the small hole.

“Seidon, so, is that his name?” Assan’s calm voice breaks the quiet, and for some reason, he is suddenly curious about Sai. His face is calm, but he stares at me with uninterested eyes.

My lips form a thin line; I don’t speak.

“The man you were with at the waterfall and the one who tried to save you, his name is Seidon?” He asks again.

I avert my gaze from him, and I answer, “yes . . .”

The air pocket is quiet again, and I hear swooshes of water.

“We have to leave here. Come, Elena.”

I shift my sight to Assan, and his board back is now facing me, with his saturated black locks resting on his shoulders. But I don’t move; I will not move.

“I said, come!” He quickly spins around. I flinch, but my lips stay pursed. Assan glares at me. However, I don’t care; instead, I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head.

“I don’t have the patience for your foolishness. I am running out of time!” His words ring in my ear. Time, running out of what time? Waiting for me? Is another creature going to come and attack us?

Pressing myself against the rocky wall, I stay firm.

Assan stares at me as his lips twist into a devious grin. What is he going to do? My heart beats in my chest, and my blood pumps in my ears.

“What will you do, Elena?” He taunts me and starts swimming closer to me, and I already regret my actions, for I have enraged the beast. Memories of the other Assan—covered in scales—haunt me. He is going to hurt me.

I swallow the saliva building in my throat.

“There is no place for you here. You have seen the monsters of the sea. At least with me, I offer you a reasonable death, one with mercy, but the creature before that hungered for you is just one of many,” he taunts me some more. His eyes flash solid blue, and his smile is wide.

I tremble as I glance at the water, searching for any bubbles, but I don’t see any. Maybe he isn’t that mad.

“I’ll replace a way . . .” My voice squeaks out like a fool. I am a fool.

Assan chuckles, reminding me of a nobleman making fun of the poor. His eyes flash solid blue again. “Not all of them will try to eat you,” he tilts his head, looking into my eyes intensely. “Some of the males will want to fill your belly with their seed.”

My mouth drops, and my heart beats faster from fear.

“The males will capture you and keep you alive until they need you. Then, you will undergo bloodcurdling pain when injected with their offspring.”

My body and fingers tremble. I can’t stop moving; I am deadly afraid. At this moment, I don’t know what is scarier: Assan or the words leaving his lips. He’s before me, staring directly into my eyes. He lifts a slender finger to my chin and traces my jawline.

A sadistic smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “Once the children are ready, they will burst from your body, ripping you apart.” As he removes the finger from my face, his smile turns into a deep frown. He retreats from me, swimming backward. Blood drains from my face.

Once the children . . . how many would be in my body? How is this happening to me? Will Assan do the same thing to me? He said he needed a child, but what if it’s many m. . . Feeling overwhelmed, my eyelids lower, and my legs buckle beneath me.

My breath catches in my throat, and everything around me spins.

Assan turns his back to me. “Now, we must go. Enough time has been wasted,” he pauses, “however, if you want an agonizing death with no mercy, stay here.” His voice is cold.

I stare at the blue liquid, and a small yellow fish swims around me. Faint tears fall from my eyes, and I start moving towards Assan. I cannot win, and it seems he will always beat me. Lost in thought, I bump into him. I look up at him. He gazes down at me. His expression holds no sympathy for me.

Using his hands, he grips my shoulders. The fight is gone from me; I am too broken to escape him.

“Stay still, and close your eyes,” he orders calmly. Instead of fighting back, I follow his orders and do as he says. His hand slides down my chest, just above my breast. I wait for the feel of his lips on mine, but instead, his hot breath hits my ear, contrasting with the chillness on my skin.

“You made the right choice, Elena,” he whispers, and to my surprise, his tone is calm. His fingers press against me, and his touch is smooth, gentler than I expected, but now I’m confused. He didn’t kiss me this time; why?

“Open your eyes,” he says softly.

Quickly, I snap my eyes open, but before I can view him, he wraps his arms around me and dunks us into the cool water. His touch on my body makes my skin crawl. Since Assan can easily caress me, it makes me wonder about his sexual activities. For a second, I question if he has had intercourse with a mermaid before. The brunette-haired woman comes to mind, or perhaps a human female.

Somehow, even underwater, my vision is clear. The coral I’ve read about and seen pictures of in Lucas’s books is all around me. Schools of fish swim together, never diverging from one another. Other sea creatures swim around us, not blocking Assan’s path.

The merman holding me is fast, and it’s clear his speed is not human, but of course, it wouldn’t be.

Rows of seaweed float and sway in the water, and more schools of fish swim around us, encircling us. It’s as if they are swimming along with Assan, using his speed to travel the sea. Rocks—with different colors and types of coral living on them—wave in the water. In my ears, the rumbling of the sea echoes through them. The scene is nature’s beauty, and for the first time since being brought here, my mind relaxes as I drink in the splendor of the undersea world. I feel someone watching me for a second, but when I glance up at Assan, he quickly avoids me and looks into the distance.

Close your eyes until I tell you to open them, he tells me through our strange mind connection.

I do as he says, and for me to see so clearly underwater, I guess Assan shared more power with me. I suppose sharing power serves a purpose. Even with my eyes closed, my body feels the rush of speed as we move. Even when Seidon held me in the water, I never felt this fast.

I want to watch the sea and see more of its beauty, but I don’t risk Assan’s anger. Suddenly, we stop.

Now, open your eyes, Elena. Adrenaline rush runs through me, and slowly, my eyes open. The sight before me leaves me wordless. I am stunned. Mermen of all body types are swimming around. Their tails are a variety of colors: solid colors and blended colors.

A few mermen swim before us but stop, looking wide-eyed at Assan. As I stare beyond them, in the distance, a building resembles a castle. However, this castle is different: it is rock instead of stone. It extends above the water and is attached to the ocean wall.

I hate coming here, but I have no choice. Welcome to my home, Elena.